Frequently asked questions

Your bid position can change on any property depending on how many bids are placed on each property and how many applicants may have been registered longer.

For example, if bid position 1 had a Priority date of 01.01.2024, bid 2 was 02.01.2024, bid 3 was 03.01.2024, bid 4 was 04.01.2024 and your bid position was at number 5 and your Priority date was 05.01.2024.  The 4 applicants registered before you who have placed bids would always be shortlisted by the Home Connections system above you on the shortlist.

If on another property there were 7 bids before your own for example bids 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 ,7 and your bid placed at position 8, this means there were 7 bids registered longer who decided to bid on this property but may not have bid on the property example above.

Home Connections is a computerised system that recognises each applicants Band and Priority Date and sorts the shortlist accordingly.

You can check your final bid position when the shortlist closes on Tuesdays at 12:00pm.

We can only consider people for properties that they have told us they are interested in unless a direct offer is being made for a specific reason.

Each property is open to bidding for a minimum of 5 days. The closing dates for bids is clearly labelled on each property advert.

NO. Many people think they will be prioritised first if they bid for a property early. There is absolutely no advantage because your priority will remain the same irrespective of the time you place your bid.

We will not be able to consider you for any available properties.

There is a limit of 5 properties you can bid for at any given time. However, in new build developments where the property attributes are similar, they will be grouped as a single advert and your expression of interest will only count as 1 bid.

There is no best time to bid, however as you place your bid you will be given a queue position for that property which will change as more people bid during the cycle.

You should check your bid position before the advertised bidding time closes. You can also see your final queue position after the cycle has closed.

Yes, you can withdraw any or all of your bids, but only during the current cycle in which the property is advertised. You should only place bids for homes you are interested in.

You can do this on this website. You can see your current bids with their bid position as well as bids you have made in the past. 

If your bid was successful, you will receive an offer to view the property, within 3 days of the bidding closing date.

Refusal of properties - Watford Borough Council Nominations Policy 2015

Applicants are expected to consider property details carefully before placing a bid, including the location, rent level and features of the property.

Where applicants have been accepted as homeless, they will be advised of the situation regarding any refusal of properties and the time limits which apply.

For other applicants, if they refuse 3 properties their application may be discontinued and a review period will be set for them to reapply. 

If you are interested in a property, you should first ensure that you are willing to accept the offer if you are the successful bidder.

Once you are logged in to your account you will only be able to bid for the size of property that you are eligible for.

You should not bid for a property that you would not consider living in. If your bid is successful and you are the first applicant on the list for the property, we will count this as an offer even if you later change your mind. You should consider visiting the area and checking out the location before making a bid so that you are sure that you are interested. You can withdraw a bid up to the closing date, but not afterwards.

Properties may be advertised with restrictions on such as ground floor properties may only be open to applicants who cannot manage any stairs.  Some properties may have medical adaptations i.e. level access shower or wet floor areas.  These particular properties will be prioritised to applicants who require the medical adaptations. We will be very clear when we advertise a property of any restrictions or conditions that will apply.

Bidding just means letting us know you are interested in being considered for a property.

You can bid direct from this website by logging in to your application to see the properties that are available to you.   When you have searched for a property and decide you want to bid, click on the "more information" button which gives you more detailed information if you decide to place a bid you click on "place bid".

If you need help bidding, you should contact [email protected]

You need to bid before the deadline advertised as if you are too late, you will not be considered.

Please note that if you bid for a property and are highly placed, your bidding position is dependent upon your circumstances being checked and verified by a member of the Housing Team.

If you have forgotten your login details you can request new login details by trying to access your online customer account.

A direct offer is an offer made by Watford Borough Council directly to an approved applicant on our housing register.

A bid is your expression of interest in being considered for an advertised property.